The recent violent activity of vigilante groups of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Karaga and Gwollu in the Northern and Upper West Regions respectively is the latest. In Karaga, the vigilante groups freed a couple of their friends who were in police custody.

In Gwollu, members of the NPP locked up the office of the District Chief Executive, Mr. Mohammed Bako, because of an allegation that he was choosing some other person for a position other than the preferred choice of party members.

Right after this incident, the President, Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo charged the police to deal with the matter. Later, the Minister of Interior, Mr. Ambrose Dery also gave directives that the culprits in the Gwollu as well as Karaga incidents are dealt with.

While this matter was dying off, another group believed to be Invincible Forces of the NPP had caused mayhem in Ada East during polls to endorse the President’s nominee for District Chief Executive, Madam Sarah Dugbakie Pobee. What level of impunity have we brought unto ourselves?

Even after the directives, the charge and the threat of sanctioning as well as the punishments that have been meted out to others, we’re still here. For how long will the President keep charging the police to deal with these thugs as well as promising the nation that he will deal with the problem?

How long will the Minister of Interior keep giving directives as well as threats of sanctioning police officers who are hesitant in dealing with these thugs?

The primary duty of the Ghana Police Service is to prevent and detect crime, to apprehend offenders, and to maintain public order and the safety of persons and properties. This duty is critical and it is on the basis of the above duties the whole Police Service hangs. They don’t need directives, threats of sanctions or a charge to perform this.

But, how did we get here?  The constitution gives so much power to the Executive that as a nation it’s having a negative effect on governance.

The whole matter begins and ends with the Executive. According to Article 202 (1), “The Inspector General of Police shall be appointed by the President in consultation with the Council of State”. If the Executive continues to appoint heads of the security agencies including the police, the loyalty of those who are appointed goes first to the President, as well as to the members of the political party.

It then presupposes that the lawlessness and disorderliness that accompany the activities of vigilante groups will be with us as long as the Executive wields the power to appoint and fire. The Police and all other security agencies must select their heads on the basis of their own criteria subject to the constitution and the best of standards practiced elsewhere.

The problem of the police in hesitating to do their work is not a consequence of the lack of directives or charges coming from the Presidency and the Interior Minister; instead, it is a matter of the lack of total independence to run its affairs without having to consider the political consequences of the powers  that be.

Total independence is not what we’re seeing now. Total independence is when the Police and the Security agencies select their heads according to their own criteria in accordance with the constitution and best international standards.

This will ensure that their loyalty is first to the citizenry and not any other power. This will ensure an effective and efficient chain of command in their line of their duties without looking over their shoulders.

The President’s call as well as Mr. Ambrose Dery’s directive and threats of sanctions are synonymous to Fela Kuti’s song: “zombie”. It will be no wonder that when elections are near, the steam of the directives and sanctions will run out.

Let’s give the police and all other security agencies the total independence of selecting their own heads and they will not have to wait for politicians to give charges or directives before there’s an action against lawlessness wrapped in political colours.

Let’s change our way of doing things and we will have different results!

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By: Alex Blege

The writer is a freelance journalist. [email protected]/[email protected]

The post Of political vigilantism and the police [Article] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

They said vigilante groups are getting more sophisticated with arms, a situation which if left unchecked, could lead to their growth into terrorist groups.

The observations were part of concerns raised by various stakeholders at CODEO’s seventh Roundtable Discussion of the year, dubbed ‘The Menace of Political Party Vigilantism and Ghana’s Electoral Politics’, held at Cape Coast in the Central Region on Thursday.

The stakeholders included representatives of all security agencies in the Region, civil society organisations, political parties and the media.

According to the participants, the growing menace of political vigilantism threatens to the Police Service which many believe has suffered massive political manipulations over the years.

Briefing the media after the roundtable discussion, a member of the Advisory Board for CODEO and former National Security Coordinator, Kofi Bentum Quantson, lamented, “You look at what is happening in our country, and you ask yourself if there are patriots in Ghana. If you love your country, will you ask people to beat up others?”

He added, “The word patriotism should permeate through all our interventions in dealing with vigilantism because it involves thuggery. If you look at what is happening in this vigilantism business, you also see arrogance and impunity: we will do it damn the consequences.”

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By: Joseph Ackon-Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Party vigilantism a possible nursery for terrorism – CODEO appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.